NEWS DESK
Reaching out so that students reach in Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au
Point of inspiration By Teresa Murphy THE wild, elemental beauty of Point Nepean, on the tip of the Mornington Peninsula is an awe-inspiring experience for any visitor. For the creatively inclined, it must be particularly intense - especially if they are lucky enough to live within the landscape for a while. Balnarring Beach artist Amanda Nelson, pictured, was one so fortunate early last month (May) when she was artist-in-residence at Police Point for two weeks, staying at the historic gatekeeper's cottage. But before luxuriating in and inter-
preting the dramatic surrounds, her immediate reaction was rather more prosaic. "After 18 years of housework, it was just bliss being on my own," said Nelson, who has three daughters with her musician husband, Marty NelsonWilliams. "I could cook whenever I wanted and listen to whatever music I wanted. But after three days I started to get a bit bored with my own company. Then I started questioning my purpose in my own space, but in a good way because I worked through the descent to create." Continued Page 17
ONE notable success of the Western Port Secondary College’s outreach program concerns 18-year-old Mark Pratt who left school in year 6 and never stayed for long at any secondary school. The road to getting the Frankston teenager re-engaged with learning was a rocky one as he, and school work, had never been compatible. Mr Pratt had been through residential care and briefly attended several secondary schools up until he was 15, but anger management issues were “letting him down”, Western Port’s outreach coordinator Helen Smith said. “He had found no real purpose in life and had been in a lot of alternative settings which made it hard for him to focus on study and training and, eventually, employment. After he saw us working with one of his mates he started to come around.” After a lot of coaxing and subtle persuasion to find “where he was at”, Ms Smith managed to establish some common ground on which to lay the framework for him to have another go at study. “The turning point was being able to help him get his learner’s permit,” Ms Smith said.
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With her encouragement, and his own persistence, the teenager is now well on his way to a steady career. “He got his food handler’s certificate and barista’s certificate and is now doing a VCAL Certificate III in building and construction at Chisholm TAFE, Moorabbin,” Ms Smith said. “He is the first member of his family to complete a senior level course.” The college’s outreach program thrives on success stories like this. About 40 students are in the program, which has been able to transfer 60-70 back into main stream education or training over the past three or four years. Western Port Secondary College principal Michael Devine said one role of the outreach program was to differentiate the curriculum to ensure
each pupil is taught at his or her point of need. “At year 7 level, for instance, the students are at various levels. We do a range of pre and post testing when classes start and differentiate students accordingly. “We develop engaging programs, such as experiential learning, where up to 100 students get out and about, say, doing a city experience, or a free surfing visit to the peninsula, or running a community cafe. “Some engage with others who would benefit from the program, and that might encourage them to join in.” In a school-based traineeship over two days, such as conservation and land management, years 10-12 aim to achieve Victorian Education and Training qualifications – and get paid for their time in the process. They also do work in the community. Others stay at school to do skillsbased training. They also do one day a week hands-on learning. “The outreach program finds ways of keeping students at school,” Mr Devine said. “It is aimed at extremely disadvantaged kids and provides them with another opportunity to access education however possible.” Mr Devine estimated there were 1000 teenagers across the peninsula who should either be at school or in the workplace. He described this figure as “high”. Continued Page 17
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